This tower block on the corner of The Parade and City Road is the main centre of A-Levels for Coleg…read moreGlan Hafren. Here people aged 16-100 can study English, Film, Media, Languages, Psychology, Hair & Beauty and much more. The reason I've given this campus 4 stars, rather than the 3 stars I gave to the others, is the high standard of teaching. Especially in the English and Media departments, I found some of the best teachers that I've ever had. I took 4 A-Levels (one of which I did both AS and A2 years at the same time) and I don't think I would ever have been able to do it without the encouragement I found here. Situated within easy walking distance from the city centre and Queens Street Railway Station, this is a great choice for anyone not quite sure what to do after finishing GCSEs. Go. Learn about Chaucer.

Coleg Glan Hafren has four sites split over two main campuses - one near the city centre and the…read moreother in Rumney. I did an IT evening class at the Parade city centre site a while back, and a couple of people I know studied A Levels there - and as is the case at most colleges, the learning experience varied depending on the subjects they chose to study and the teachers they ended up with. The college offers about 800 different courses - some full time (e.g. A Levels) and others part time (such as evening IT training programmes). It has some 10,000 students enroled at any one time, ranging in age from 16 right up to about 80. Some courses are academic, such as many of the A Levels they offer, whereas others are vocational, whether it's teaching a trade such as auto engineering, or other skills such as childcare, creative design, business studies and sports. For those finishing their GCSEs, Coleg Glan Hafran actually offers a wider range of A Levels than any other institution in Cardiff (more than 30 different subjects, in fact) - so if you're looking for something less mainstream they may just offer it.

The Cardiff School of Engineering has strong links with industry and its graduates seem to be in…read morehigh demand. It has a reputation for delivering high quality and up-to-date teaching and research, and was ranked among the top ten combined engineering schools in the UK in the Research Assessment Exercise 2008 (an independent, in-depth exercise which analyses the quality of research across UK universities). It's not in the most central of buildings in terms of the university campus, but it's not far away either - and it's extremely close to the pedestrianised Queen Street end of the city centre shopping area. For undergraduates, it offers degree schemes in Architectural Engineering, Civil Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Computer Systems Engineering, Electrical and Electronic, Electronic and Communications, Integrated Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Medical Engineering. If you don't have the right qualification to get onto the undergraduate scheme, you can take a foundation year first to get up to speed. For postgraduate students there's a range of MSc schemes available ranging from obvious courses such as the MSc in Civil Engineering to and MSc in Hydroenvironment Engineering, Geoenvironmental Engineering, Magnetics, Orthopaedic Engineering or Sustainable Energy and Environment (amongst others). The School's website is very comprehensive, offering lots of information about the school, its teaching and research, its involvement with industry, and its staff.

This academic School is considered a world-leading centre for media teaching and research, with…read morefantastic facilities and equipment for students and high demand for places on its courses. It has been pioneering journalism education since the 70s, and attracts students from all over the world (particularly to its postgraduate Masters and Diploma courses). The undergraduate course is an academic course rather than a vocational course, called 'BA Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies'. It's challenging, well-respected, and a good foundation for the more practical postgraduate Diplomas in broadcast, magazine or newspaper journalism - as well as the more academic Masters courses. Another great thing about studying at this School is its beautiful home: Bute Building on King Edward VII Avenue, right next to lovely Cathays Park and a short stroll across from the Main Building and the Students' Union.

Want an education, in media did you say? Yea, don't come here…read more As a graduate that studied in both the Ponty and Cardiff area of Glamorgans uni's I can safely say I wished it stayed at Pontypridd. You can't help but be made to feel that this building was built for business reasons and not for the students welfare. There was a lot of back slapping when the Atrium was first opened and a lot of hiding disgruntled students out of the press's way. The building was just over half built when it opened and was a building site. Nothing was ready and equipment was sparse, my heart bled for people studying in their third year. Talking of equipment, there is a scarce amount for 1000's of media students all needing the 20 or so cameras available, add a shambolic ordering system that doesn't work that will charge an extortionate amount to students if they are but mere minutes late and you've got yourself a lot of unhappy people trapped within this educational house. The cafe is overly expensive and is far more of an upmarket cafe that does not adhere to the tight budgets student are on. However the staff are always lovely here. More than can be said for the reception. I can't remember the guys name as I would shame him here right now, but he is the most unhelpful, obnoxious man that has ever been hired. I've seen him be so rude to kids who are just trying to hand there work in I'm surprised he still works there, shameful. And that incompetence seems to run throughout the staff employed here. I had a lot of problems within the second year and was treated disgustingly. What was worse is that I could not go to anyone to help me as there was no governing body to go to outside of the uni, it all felt that they did what was best for them, not you. There are however some great teachers here and learnt a lot out of those few. However I can't help but feel it was alot down to my determination that I got the results I wanted out of here, not them in the slightest. Oh and there is going to be no union as of next year, not the uni experience you would hope for then. Seriously, if you are looking to visit here please speak to students who reside here already before you make your decision. I am a disgruntled ex student yes, but I can honestly say there are a majority of students there that feel the same but do not have a way to express them. Seek elsewhere for further education.

As a local musician, I'm always on the lookout for new places to play or record, and for fresh…read morepeople to get in contact with to see what comes out of a new collaboration and when The Atrium opened its doors properly, I danced a small jig. Being the Glamorgan teaching centre for anything media related, there is an entire section dedicated to sound recording with four floors of recording studios kitted out with a huge amount of brand new, high-powered equipment. Having recorded in there numerous times for a variety of different projects, I know that the quality of the end recording relies mostly on the skill of the students and the quality has, except for one glaring exception, been fantastic. Aside from this, the building is a beautiful addition to a city skyline that is rapidly becoming far more interesting than it previously was. With the wonderful, idiosyncratic camera-shaped conservatory building greeting traffic heading from the Bay, it makes a nice introduction to the city centre.

We are living in a mechanical world, and I am a mechanical girl. Bring on the machines...! The MEC…read moreis a leading edge rapid prototyping and machining facility based in Cardiff. It conducts world-class research and development in all major areas of Advanced Manufacturing and uses the output to promote the introduction of new manufacturing technology and practice to industry. It has a wide range of rapid prototyping capabilities, SLS X 4 Machines SLA x 2 machines Fused deposition modelling Investment casting 5 x axis CNC ability to machine down to 20micron Co-ordinate measurement facilities. It was founded at Cardiff University in 1996. Over 100 industrial partners including Daimler, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Mitutoyo, Parametric Technology, SAP, Silicon Graphics, Siemens and Zeiss have supported research at this Centre of Excellence which has collaborative projects with more than 22 countries in Europe, Asia and the Americas. As if that weren't impressive enough, get this: The MEC has won the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry's First Prize for success in building lasting research partnerships with industry and the Queen's Anniversary Prize for creating an exceptional programme of support for firms using our research expertise and state-of-the-art facilities. They are the ONLY advanced manufacturing research centre in the UK to have earned both accolades. Clever MEC.

Housed in the historic and impressive Glamorgan Building in Cardiff's Civic Centre, the Cardiff…read moreSchool of Social Sciences (known as 'SOCSI' within the University) sits just across the road from attractive Cathays Park and the university's Main Building, and just a few minutes' walk from the Students' Union. It offers undergraduate courses in Education, Criminology, Social Policy, Social Science and Sociology. At postgraduate level, there are taught Masters degree programmes, Research degrees, and Professional Doctorates as well as a PGCE course (part- or full-time) for those who want to qualify as teachers. It's a big, busy School with over 160 staff and a thousand students, and inside the building it's nearly always a hive of activity during term time with many lectures and seminars taking place, plus occasional conferences and workshops.

This is the premiere place to study drama or music in Wales with a world wide reputation and…read moregraduates including Sir Antony Hopkins, Rob Byrdon, Ruth Jones, Dougray Scott and many more. I've had the pleasure of working with students from here as well as visiting many of the shows and exhibitions they put on. I can honestly say they are a very talented bunch of people and it must be a great place to learn. Its currently undoing a big of a revamp to make the college look as good as the performances and provide new facilitates. This a real institution that all of Wales should be proud of.

In 2009 I was part of a topical panel show that was broadcast on BBC Radio Wales. The show was…read morepre-recorded on a weekly basis in front of a live audience in The Bute Theatre at The Royal Welsh College of music and drama. It's a fabulous little intimate venue and if you ever get a chance to see a decent production here then its worth going. I am not sure if business is as usual at the moment because it is under going a £22.5 million building re-design. The new buildings are due to open in the Spring of 2011 but the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama is Wales' leading music and drama conservatoire and this new addition to the College's professional training and performance facilities comprises The Richard Burton Theatre. It was recently named at a gala evening at Buckingham Palace, along with the 450-seat Concert Hall, four Acting & Movement Studios and an Exhibition Gallery. So it held in high regard.